Isaiah 17

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:9-11

Forgetfulness of God and its consequences. I. GOD AS AN OBJECT OF THE SOUL 'S ATTENTION . He is the "God of men's salvation." His Name calls up all those ideas of power, of grace, of goodness, necessary to the Deliverer, the Savior. To acknowledge that such a Being exists is not enough; the eye of the spirit must be turned to him, its gaze fixed upon him, its ear bent towards the place of his holy oracle. Micah says in evil times, "I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

Because thou hast forgotten ; rather, because thou didst forget . The late repentance of a "remnant" which "looked to their Maker" ( Isaiah 17:7 ) could not cancel the long catalogue of former sins ( 2 Kings 17:8-17 ), foremost among which was their rejection of God, or, at any rate, their complete forgetfulness of his claims upon them. The Rock of thy strength. God is first called "a Rock" in Deuteronomy 32:4 , Deuteronomy 32:15 , Deuteronomy 32:18 , Deuteronomy 32:30 , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

The Rock of our strength. Irreligious men have many "rocks of strength," or at any rate think that they have many. 1. "Some put their trust in chariots and in horses," believe in "big battalions" as really ruling the world, and think they have only to swell their armies in order to sway the course of events at their pleasure. Tell them that "it is nothing with God to help, whether with many or with them that have no power" ( 2 Chronicles 14:11 ); assure them that "it is no hard matter... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

God our Rock. Here called the "Rock of thy fortress; 'and contrasting with the fortress-cities, which proved no defense, and the fortress-rocks, in which the refugees had found safe shelter. The city represented man's power to defend; the rock represents God's power. According to the circumstances of the age, and in view of the machinery of war then in use, the steep rock was a better safety than the walled city. The figure of God as a Rock is found very early in Scripture, and was... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10-11

The sin and doom of ungodliness. We learn— I. THAT GOD IS WRONGED AND GRIEVED BY OUR NEGLECT OF HIMSELF AS WELL AS BY OUR DISOBEDIENCE TO HIS LAWS . Men sometimes mistakenly suppose that their sin is limited by the number of their transgressions of God's positive enactments. They make a very serious mistake in so judging. Great guilt, indeed, is contracted by the breach of Divine commandment, by setting at defiance the "Thou shalt not" of sacred... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:11

In the day ; or, in a day (Kay). Shalt thou make ; rather, thou makest . Each new slip that is planted is forced to take root and grow and flourish at once; the next morning it is expected to have formed its seed and reached perfection. So the harvest is hurried on; but when it is reached, the day of visitation has arrived—a day of grief and of desperate sorrow. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:11

The mission of disappointment; or, disappointment used as a Divine judgment. In this passage is presented the case of unrewarded toil. Seed is sown, blades spring up, there is every prospect of harvest; but all hopes are disappointed, the harvest proved a failure—it was "a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow." One special feature of the discipline of life is the disappointment of our most cherished hopes and expectations. We build our castles on some new enterprise, and at first... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12

Woe to the multitude of many people ; rather, Ho for the tumult of many peoples! The advance of an army composed of soldiers from many nations is descried. They advance with noise and tumult—a tumult compared with that of "seas that are tumultuous." Under the circumstances of the time, it is reasonable to suppose the Assyrians to be intended (comp. Isaiah 22:6 , Isaiah 22:7 ). The rushing sound of the advance is borne in strongly upon the prophet's mind, and made the subject of three... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12-14

A PROPHECY AGAINST ASSYRIA . This passage is, apparently, out of place. At any rate, it is quite unconnected with what precedes, and almost equally so with what follows. Still, it must be borne in mind that, until the destruction of Sennacherib's army, Isaiah has the thought of the Assyrians, as the pressing danger, always before him, and continually reverts to it, often abruptly, and without preparation (see Isaiah 5:26-30 ; Isaiah 7:17-25 ; Isaiah 8:5-8 ; Isaiah 10:5-19 , ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12-14

Sounds from afar. In the distance the prophet hears a vague tumult, like that of the sea with its roaring, incoming tide. It is the noise of the invading host. Readers will recollect the powerful passage describing the eve of the battle of Waterloo—the dull distant sound repeated until the conviction flashes, "It is—it is—the cannon's opening roar!" So does the prophet listen to the uproar of the advancing Assyrians. I. THE POETIC REPRESENTATION . It is one of sublimity and terror,... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:9-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:10-11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:11

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12-14

The Pulpit Commentary - Isaiah 17:12-14

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